The Lifewriter's Digest Article -- Memoir Rx/TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" > <DIV ALIGN="center"><TABLE BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="10" CELLPADDING="10" WIDTH="85%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" > <TR ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top"> <TD WIDTH="65%" HEIGHT="35"><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#666633" FACE="HELVETICA">THE LIFEWRITER'S DIGEST </FONT><HR SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%" NOSHADE> <FONT SIZE="1" FACE="HELVETICA" COLOR="666633" >Go to <A HREF="http://www.turningmemories.com/lifewritersdigest.html">www.turningmemories.com/lifewritersdigest.html</A><BR> <BR> Use the "back" button to return to the e-mail newsletter.</FONT> <BR><BR> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#330066" FACE="Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="index.html">HOME</A> | <A HREF="memoirghostwriting.html">CO-AUTHORING (GHOSTWRITING)</A> </TD> </TR> </TABLE></DIV> <BR> <DIV ALIGN="center"><TABLE BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="10" CELLPADDING="10" WIDTH="85%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" > <TR><TD WIDTH="5%"></TD><TD ALIGN="left" > <IMG SRC="images/denisahuntsic6.2007.jpg" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="8" ALIGN="left" BORDER="1"><BR> <H2><U><FONT COLOR="#990000">Memoir Rx<BR> </FONT></U></H2><BR> By Denis Ledoux <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> Let me tell you a story about a relationship between a writer and editor -- both well known now but neither of whom were well known at the time. <BR><BR> In 1956, an editor at what was then called Farrar and Straus in New York, Robert Giroux, received a manuscript that was an endless flow of prose. There were no chapter breaks nor any paragraphs. Giroux liked what he read but there was no way the manuscript would ever appeal to people in its current state. Who besides an editor would read hundreds of unformatted pages? <BR><BR> After Giroux read the entire manuscript, he undertook to divide the manuscript into two -- each part of which would become a book. As it existed, the manuscript was just too long, and its unity was shattered by separate plots. Then, Giroux created chapters, and the first of the two books began to take shape. Subsequently, the editor cut and past the text (literally in those days before computers) to create a chronological order and to enhance its inherent drama. <BR><BR> He did the same for the second book, creating chapters and making sure the story had a dramatic arc. When he arrived at an impasse, he would contact the writer to ask him to write necesssary episodes or to add to characterization, etc. <BR><BR> Then, in March of 1957, the first book Giroux had edited was published to great acclaim. <BR><BR> This book was <I>On the Road</I> by Jack Kerouac. Later that year, the second book <I>Dharma Bums </I>was also published. Together, the books Kerouac wrote and Robert Giroux edited plumeted Kerouac to fame and assured him a place in American cultural history. None of it would have been possible without the collaboration of the two via the editing process. <BR><BR> "What does an editor do, besides check periods and commas?" I get asked. Well, as the story above illustrates, a lot more. Often an editor can take a great idea which a writer is floundering with and make it into a satisfying book that reaches its audience. <BR><BR> If you are smitten with a book idea and have been writing for a long time without feeling that you are doing justice to the idea you wish to make public, perhaps, like Kerouac, you need an editor. Not for periods and commas but to get your book off the ground. <BR><BR> To explore adding an editor to your writing team, please call 207-353-5454 today or visit <A HREF="editingservices.html">Soleil Book and Manuscript Editing Services</A>. <BR> <BR> <BR> <DIV ALIGN="center"><FONT SIZE="1" FACE="Helvetica">copyright 2009 © Soleil Lifestory Network <BR><BR> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </DIV> <BR> <DIV ALIGN="center"><TABLE BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="10" CELLPADDING="10" WIDTH="85%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" > <TR ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top"> <TD WIDTH="65%" HEIGHT="35"><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#666633" FACE="HELVETICA"> <FONT SIZE="1" FACE="HELVETICA" COLOR="666633" >Go to <A HREF="http://www.turningmemories.com/lifewritersdigest.html">www.turningmemories.com/lifewritersdigest.html</A><BR> <BR> Use the "back" button to return to the e-mail newsletter.</FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE></DIV> </BODY> </HTML>